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The Warnings
Why is an old farmhouse slowly crumbling away in the middle of the African bush veld? What became of its owner who went fishing one hot and sunny afternoon, and why do the people who live nearby now refuse to set foot on the farm? Those who travel on foot along the stony paths of the Zululand countryside, who sit and rest beneath the thorn trees or spend time with its rivers and streams, need to be constantly alert for what they may encounter in nature. Most days, life is pleasant and much that is good can be encountered. There are some occasions, however, when one has to deal with the unpredictable and even the highly dangerous. That is why it is always wise to stay alert, because to ignore nature’s warnings could bring severe injury or even inescapable death. There is also another world behind and within the one you see. It is the world of the spirits, those that are good and those that are bad. They offer signs and warnings wherever you go, and you need to recognise these things. Rejoice if you are sent a mark of good fortune such as the finding of the egg of an eagle. Live in fear of what may come riding through the night on the back of a baboon. Think many times before venturing close to a cave curtained by a waterfall. If you do not, somebody may find your body on a lonely path with your brains sucked out. There again, they may never find it at all.
80 pages, Paperback
Published August 18, 2018
1 person want to read
About the author
Andrew Pender-Smith
19 books7 followersDear Reader,
I have told and written stories all my life. Looking back, I was perhaps most inspired and helped by a Zulu nanny who loved to tell me Zulu folktales. She would roast maize cobs in a coal oven and then we would eat the roasted cobs that had been spread with butter and salt. As we ate, she told me one story after another, and I absorbed them all. Imelda added much to the story because, like many Zulus, she acted out the various people and animals in the tales she told. My children’s book, ‘Hunting Zanga’, was strongly influenced by Imelda and the stories she told. Hearing myths and legends pertaining to other African peoples encouraged me to tell stories of my own. The thorn-treed bush and wide, wild beaches of old Zululand with countless flora and fauna also fueled me as a writer.
Though I wrote short stories and poems as a child, my first real writings began when I started to teach drama. I began writing poetry, short plays and theme programmes for my drama classes. Writing poetry for performance is one of my favourite activities and I have had many poems published and performed over the years. It wasn’t long before fellow teachers and organisations asked if they could use my work.
I have always enjoyed being transported into different places and experiences by writers and, at a young age, found I enjoyed doing the same as a writer. From starting with poems, plays and short stories, I went on to creating longer works in different genres. I read and write every day, for hours at a time, and though there have been occasions when I have found the writing demanding (sometimes torturous), I have never wanted to stop. I couldn’t. I have far too much love for the journeys I undertake as a writer and it is my hope that readers will enjoy them too. If anyone uses the poems in ‘FANTASTIC SPACEY RACY THING AND LOTS AND LOTS OF OTHER POEMS’ and all the ideas for teaching in ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching Dramatic Arts’ and ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching English Language and Literature’, I would love to hear from them.
With good wishes,
Andrew Pender-Smith
I have told and written stories all my life. Looking back, I was perhaps most inspired and helped by a Zulu nanny who loved to tell me Zulu folktales. She would roast maize cobs in a coal oven and then we would eat the roasted cobs that had been spread with butter and salt. As we ate, she told me one story after another, and I absorbed them all. Imelda added much to the story because, like many Zulus, she acted out the various people and animals in the tales she told. My children’s book, ‘Hunting Zanga’, was strongly influenced by Imelda and the stories she told. Hearing myths and legends pertaining to other African peoples encouraged me to tell stories of my own. The thorn-treed bush and wide, wild beaches of old Zululand with countless flora and fauna also fueled me as a writer.
Though I wrote short stories and poems as a child, my first real writings began when I started to teach drama. I began writing poetry, short plays and theme programmes for my drama classes. Writing poetry for performance is one of my favourite activities and I have had many poems published and performed over the years. It wasn’t long before fellow teachers and organisations asked if they could use my work.
I have always enjoyed being transported into different places and experiences by writers and, at a young age, found I enjoyed doing the same as a writer. From starting with poems, plays and short stories, I went on to creating longer works in different genres. I read and write every day, for hours at a time, and though there have been occasions when I have found the writing demanding (sometimes torturous), I have never wanted to stop. I couldn’t. I have far too much love for the journeys I undertake as a writer and it is my hope that readers will enjoy them too. If anyone uses the poems in ‘FANTASTIC SPACEY RACY THING AND LOTS AND LOTS OF OTHER POEMS’ and all the ideas for teaching in ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching Dramatic Arts’ and ‘COLOUR ME MORE: Teaching English Language and Literature’, I would love to hear from them.
With good wishes,
Andrew Pender-Smith
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 19, 2018
An intriguing story about Zulu folklore. It clearly gives the reader insight into the culture and beliefs of the Zulu people as well as the traditions that are common to their culture.
Many people who do not believe in ancestral spirits normally think of a series of tragedies as being purely coincidental. It was interesting to read how the Zulu people, through their culture, interpret these unfortunate events, and see them rather as 'warnings' than unrelated events.
A thoroughly enjoyable story. Well done to the author.
Many people who do not believe in ancestral spirits normally think of a series of tragedies as being purely coincidental. It was interesting to read how the Zulu people, through their culture, interpret these unfortunate events, and see them rather as 'warnings' than unrelated events.
A thoroughly enjoyable story. Well done to the author.
Displaying 1 of 1 review